The Los Angeles Chargers are gearing up for the 024 season with a significant change in new head coach, Jim Harbaugh. This move is expected to bring a new energy and strategy to the team, making the Chargers a team to watch this season.
The Chargers needed a big splash on the head coaching front, and they got that and then some with the former NFL Coach of the Year.
While there is a ton of excitement and optimism surrounding the arrival of Harbaugh and the team they've built thus far, the latest Yahoo power rankings aren't buying into the Chargers just yet.
Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports ranked the Chargers at No. 23 in the NFL offseason power rankings.
"Roster deficiencies, always overlooked in the yearly hype over the Chargers' potential, is one of many questions as Harbaugh starts his Chargers journey," said Schwab. "How does a nine-year absence from the NFL affect Harbaugh? That's a long time in NFL terms. How will Harbaugh's run-first mentality — on display when the team passed on talented receivers to take offensive tackle Joe Alt with the fifth overall pick — mesh with having a true franchise quarterback?
If history is a guide, Harbaugh will eventually have answers to all of those questions. His track record is excellent. Perhaps it takes a year or two, but the Chargers are banking on a big improvement in the Harbaugh era.
And if nothing else, their idiosyncratic coach ensures the Chargers won't be anonymous anymore."
While Harbaugh will be in a new light for a team that desperately needs to stand out in Los Angeles, they must prove it first. The Chargers, on paper, have everything they need to build up Harbaugh's physical brand of football. They have the running backs and the offensive line to build it out; now they must execute his plan.
It won't be easy for the Bolts, especially in this gauntlet of the AFC; however, they have a favorable schedule and one of the most talented quarterbacks in Justin Herbert. The Chargers will need to count on health and a little bit of luck in 2024.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/chargers/ as Chargers News: Los Angeles in Bottom Third of Recent NFL Power Ranking.